Black Powder Rendezvous

[Red-Handed Jill]

Iron Jack, Patrick Hand and I spent the weekend at the Mt. Ranch Muzzleloaders Rendezvous in Railroad Flat, California (which is in the mountains northeast of the Stockton area.) We decided to try our hand at creating a primitive camp and representing pirates at this event. Patt has been trying to get other folks to join him at these events for awhile so we took him up on this one.

We got there Friday morning and were met at the gate by a man with a dead coyote on his head. He gave us the rules and told us where everything was, in particular the primitive camp area. At this event, you have the option of camping in the "tin tipi" area or the primitive area, but in the primitive area, you have to at least look fairly authentic. Jack and I had been scrambling the last couple of weeks to put together our camp.

So we made our way back to the primitive area and scouted out a place to set up our camp. A man named Jimmy walked over and welcomed us and after talking awhile, told us about a small but secluded spot up the hill. We took a meandering trail and ended up in a clearing surrounded by manzanita bushes. It was too small for his camp, but it would be big enough for us and Patt. So we carried our gear to the site and set up our camp. While setting up, I encountered a very cute three-legged toad. I moved him so that he would not be accidentally trampled, since he couldn't move very fast. Did I mention that it was awfully cute?

This was our kitchen.

I cooked us some lunch and then we scouted around. Jimmy showed us some of the details of his camp, which gave us some good ideas. Then we hiked around a bit and ended up at Trader's Row. We bought a few things, registered for the weekend's events, arranged to fire Queen Anne, our small but mighty carronade in the morning and hiked around some more and ended back at our camp.

A man stopped by and told us that folks around the camp mentioned that there were pirates at the event. He was with, I think, a local radio station and had brought recording equipment with him; he wanted to know when the cannon firing would be so he could record it. We kept hearing folks talking about "the pirates"; seems we had created a bit of a stir. Our garb was along the lines of the authentic rather than the more publicly-recognized Howard Pyle or Hollywood versions, so we didn't stick out readily as pirates. However, Jack and I had talked about our piratical activities at one of the vendors' tents and the word spread like wildfire.

And for some reason, between about 2:30 and 4:00 it got very cold. I kept warm by splitting lumber, then it warmed up again. Eerie. Then Patt showed up and we helped him carry his gear next to our tent and he set up his lean-to.

I gave him some supper and then we built up the fire, drank hot buttered rum and swapped stories. Jack brought out his guitar and sang a few songs.

It got pretty late and we all went to bed. We were expecting it to be in the 40's, but it was somewhat colder than that. For some reason, my butt got REALLY cold. You'd think that an area where I have so much padding could take the cold... At any rate, we were very happy that we had brought extra blankets and I'm sure Patt was glad that he followed his instincts and brought four blankets rather than two. He was still pretty cold, though. The next morning we got up, had breakfast and Jack and Patt wheeled the cannon to the registration area. It was fired three times, each time punctuated by Jack's maniacal laugh. I heard a few folks around the camp yell "woo hoo!" each time the cannon went off.

Jack and I got ready for our event that day, which was a combination of a trail walk/target shooting and a tomahawk/knife throwing trail. Patt needed balls for his gun and went off to Trader's Row. He came back disappointed and we got a bit of mileage out of Patt not being able to find his balls. So the three of us went to the tomahawk/knife throwing practice area and threw some tomahawks and knives.

Then Patt got to talking to some of the other folks and Jack and I went on our trail walks. It was about then that I started getting the coffee jitters (foolish me - I thought just this once I'll have some coffee...) and it seriously interfered with my aim. I felt that although I probably could hit the broad side of a barn, the targets along this trail were quite safe from me. So I watched Jack finish all of his target shooting instead. He did very well, even hitting some of the really difficult targets. Then we went on the tomahawk/knife throwing trail. I did pretty well, except for the stations with the goofier requirements. (Michael, the president of the group, told us that he designed that course himself and wanted it to be a bit goofy.)

We did a bit more shopping in Trader's Row and went back to the camp to have lunch and relax before some more tomahawk throwing and firing the cannon. Right on schedule, it got cold again and I started splitting lumber. It started to rain and we dismantled and packed our half of the camp and got the cannon set up to be fired. Then we went over to the registration area, where we had the undivided attention of everyone nearby. Some folks brought cameras and we fired the cannon three times, much to everyone's delight. Then we spent a bit more time throwing tomahawks and Patt left to move his lean-to so that it would be closer to the campfire. It rained pretty hard on the drive home, so I hope he's doing okay tonight.

At any rate, I really recommend doing one of these. This particular group does two a year, in Spring and Fall; the next one is in early October. Other groups hold these as well, some throughout most of the year. If you can get a primitive campsite together, I recommend doing that as well. Our camp included a couple of nods to the modern, such as one of those plastic cubes of water, air mattresses and a small cooler (as a nod to the health department.) But those were hidden and covered inside the tent and all our cooking was done over an open flame and we used oil lamps rather than electric or propane lanterns. So it's very do-able. We're looking for viable replacements for the few modern things we brought, though.

We're definitely looking forward to the next one!

[HarborMaster]

Thank you for sharing ., The story and the photos brightened up my dreary sunday., hopefully Sir Patrick will add to it when he gets back.., follow up on the rest of the event.

There is a Black Powder Rendezvous in our area in September I may have to look into .....,

We got there Friday morning and were met at the gate by a man with a dead coyote on his head.

Cool ! ! !

[Patrick Hand]

After packing everything, then firing the cannon, Jake and Jill went to go throw hawks.. But it started to rain, and I wanted to move my tarp/sail closer to the fire, so I went back to camp to do so...

I propped up a wood round on the far side of the fire pit, and set-up my tarp/sail so the heat would be directed inside... I also put all the firewood under it to keep it dry...

I decided that I should take the doglock up to my car... just to be safe, which was lucky... I'd left the driver side window down.

It didn't pour down rain, just a constant heavy drizzle... but with a good fire burning, it was comfortable and dry under my tarp/sail...

Well until about 3:00 in the morning...

The ground at Railroad Flat is kinda clayish... so the rainwater doesn't soak in... my linseed-oiled ground cloth and I made a wonderful dam until the water finally found a way in... It would have worked if I'd trenched the uphill side, and diverted the rain... but I didn't think the rain was that heavy....

So I grabbed my slightly damp blankets and had to go sleep in my car.

At the next one in October... If it looks like rain.... I'm digging a trench.

Other than that I had a good time.

I haven't thrown a hawk in over 15 years.. But I did OK, and I didn't embarrass myself (The rounds/targets were kinda low... so we would be taking out kneecaps but it was fun)

I had hoped to get some .735 cal round balls for the doglock... none of the traders had any. But Jack had fun with the joke...

I think we made a good impression of Pyrates at Rendezvous, Buck skinners are really nice people, And Rendezvous are great places to pick-up period items for camp, and Live Fire guns....and throw axes and knives.... What more could a Pyrate want?

[oderlesseye]

He came back disappointed and we got a bit of mileage out of Patt not being able to find his balls.

Reminds me of the biggining of the movie "Cutt Throat Island"

[callenish gunner]

looks like it was a grande time!!!

[Captain Jim]

Sounds like a grand time. Thanks for the pictures and sharing.

And Patrick, it is of small things such as this that nicknames are born...

[Bully MacGraw]

Very cool. I was a regular at those events. Please let me know when you are going to the high country again!

Ed